Apparatus for distributing fertilizer in soluble condition



June 10, 1930. s. c. c. SCHRADER 1,763,374

APPARATUS FOR DISTRIBUTING FERTILIZER IN SOLUBLE CONDITION Filed mm 29.'1927 2VE2TOE Y ATTORNEY Patented June 1d, 193% UNIT sTA'res GUSTAVE C.C. SCI-IRAD ER, 01? WOODSTOCK, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO HARRY I. lBlalailq} HARD, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK; ANNIE MEIR'IINE BERNHARD EXECUTRIX01E SAID HARRY I. BERNIE-KARI), DECEASED APPARATUS FOR DISTRIBUTINGFERTILIZER IN SOLUBLE CONDITION Original application filed April 13,1922, Serial No. 552,418. Divided. and this application filed April 29,

I 1927. My invention is an apparatus for distributing fertilizer insoluble condition, the same being a division of a prior application fora method filed April 13, 1922, Serial No. 552,- l18, now Patent No.1,630,? 68, patented May 31, 1927. y p a The object in view'is toprovide mechanism for the application ofa clear saturated solution ofmanurial salts in the quantity proper for each installation andapplication of the solution, and also to provide asafe solution to beapplied to growing plants in a manner to preclude an injurious effectupon such plants.

It is common practice in fertilizing growing plants to use manurialsalts in a natural or crude state, with the result that the impuritiespresent in the salts in a natural condition are carried in solution, andwhen such solution is distributed by an apparatus of one form oranother, such impurities and the insoluble agents have atendency to, anddo actually, obstruct and clog up the apertures, screens, and nozzlesofthe distributing Inech anism.

It is desirable that fertilizing agents be supplied in liquid form anddiluted by the addition of water to render safe the application of suchfertilizer in such dilute form to the growing plants, and it isdesirable, also, that such diluted liquid fertilizer be distributed andapplied at frequent intervals, varying from ten days to twenty days.

A further objection to the distribution of soluble fertilizer asheretofore practiced is that no adequate provision is made for feed ingeithera predetermined quantity of the manurial salts, or to feeding acomplete fertilizer embodying as essential ingredients the elements of anitrate, a potash and a phosphate which are deemed essential for thenourishment and propagation of growing plants, nor has adequateprovision been made for controlling the rate of dilution for a giveninstallation of the manurial salts at and during the period ofdistribution and irrigation. On the contrary, such prior systems dependupon the manipulation of valves for effecting the quantity of fertilizersolution supplied to the water as diluting agent,

Seri 2.1 No. 187,686.

thereby endangering the growing crops by feedlng fertilizer in excessquantity thereto.

According to my method as disclosed in my prior application, there isemployed a saturated solution of manurial salts of nitrate of soda,muriate of potash, and acid phosphate, such elemental agents being highgrade salts, and the resulting solution being clarified by any desirableprocedure, such as by decanting, for the elimination of sediment orprecipitates so as to attain a clear solution, and this solution ishighly diluted by the admixture therewith of water, such dilution of thesaturated solution being pros gressive to the extent that while at thestart of the distributing operation the ratio is as one part of thesaturated solution to one hundred parts of water, such ratio quicklydiminishes, so that at the end of a short interval of time, say thirty(30) minutes, only clearfresh water flows through the distributingmechanism.

The proceduce supplies a fertilizer agent to growing crops without thepossibility of an injurious effect thereon, for the reason that tenderplants or rootlets cannot be injured by supplying the highly diluted orthin solution even at the starting of the distributing operation duringwhich the liquid carries the highest percentage of the manurial salts insolution, as after a few minutes interval following the beginning of thedistribution, the liquid becomes progressively more dilute until towardthe exhaus tion of the charge of the saturated solution only clear waterpasses through the distributer, with the result that the surfaces incontact with the saturated solution are flushed by'the flow of water,thereby cleaning the apparatus by the water supplied for irrigatingpurposes to the growing crop. By using a clear saturated solution ofmanurial salts, there is no residue that will tend to obstruct and clogthe nozzles of the irrigating system.

The drawing hereto annexed and forming a part hereof illustratesconstructionally and diagrammatically my improved apparatus, as follows:

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gigure 1 is an elevation partly in section, an

Figure 2 is a sectional view of another form of the apparatus.

Referring to Figure 1 of said drawing, A designates a tank of suitablecapacity, closed at its ends by suitable heads, a. The upper head isprovided with a charging opening, 6, adapted to be tightly elosedibyappropriate means, said opening making provision for the introductioninto the tank of a clear saturated solution of 'manurial salts. At ornear the lower part, said "tankis provided with a suitable drain cock,0. v

B is the feed pipe for the flow therein of clear water from anydesirable source of supply, and C is an upright pipe extending alongsidethe tank A, and to a suitable distance above the tank, said upright pipebeing coupledat (Z to the feed pipe 'B.

D is the distributor of any vapproved construction, the same being shownas coupled at 6 with the branch pipeC in order that said distributor maybe shifted or oscillated as desired for the distribution of the liquidupon the growing plants. The upright pipe is provided with a stop cock,f, intermediate its ends for shutting ofi the flow 0'1".- water throughit when the apparatus is out of service, or to bejshifted from one placeto another, but normally this stop cock is opened to full capacity forestablishing the flow of water in a certain determined volume.

The coupling .6 intermediate the branch pipe C and distributing pipe Dmay be of the ball and socket variety shown in the drawing, with a. viewto permitting the attendant to operate the distributing pipe D 'bypressure applied to the handle g, whereby the pipe D may be given anoscillating movement in ahorizontal plane, or substantially so, whilethe flow of liquid continues uninter ruptedly through pipes B, C, D, todistribute the liquid as required, As shown, the distributing pipe D isprovided with a row of outlets on the underside thereof, said outletsbeing shown as apertures h, although nozzles may be fixedly attached tothe pipe.

Water is supplied to the tank from the branch pipe C through aconnection interme-' diate said pipe and the bottom of the tank, wherebythe inflowing water displaces the saturated solution. Said connection isshown as a short pipe E and a nozzle F, one end of the short pipe beingattached to the branch pipe, and the other :endcouplecl to the bottomhead of said tank, said short pipe having a stop cock f adapted normallyto be wide open for the full and free flow of water or to be closed forshutting off the water flow.

The nozzle F .is coupled to'the delivery end of the short pipe and .itextends upwardly within the tank substantially centrally there-of. Noprovision is made for shutting ofi the [flow of water admitted by theshort pipe-and the nozzle, such as by effecting a variation in thevolume of water by manipu lation of the stop cock; but, on the contrary,the volume of water admitted to the tank for displacing the saturatedsolution is mathematically determined by providing the nozzle F with anoutlet of a predetermined area, which area of the nozzle remainsconstant sothat -the 'r'ate of lIIflOWOf water into the tank is the sameat all times, the stop cock f being fully opened.

G is a connecting pipe extending from the upper tank head to the branchpipe, said pipe G conducting the saturated solution from the tank to thedistributing pipe. As shown, the lower end of pipe G is fixedly attachedto the tank, whereas the upper end of said pipe G is provided with adischarge shown as a nozzle G which enters 'the passage in the pipe C soas to feed the saturated solution 'into the middle of the column ofwater flowing from pipe G into the distributor D for effecting-thedesired dilution of the saturated solution by admixture with the water.

The saturated solution is prepared from appropriate.manurial salts, andalthoughthe salts utilized and the proportions used may be modified, Ifind that good results are obtainable according to the formula PoundsNitrate of soda 50 Acid phosphate Muriate of 1potash 50 in about forty(40) gallons 016' Water, stir well from thefbottom of the vessel, andlet settle, which allows the gypsum and insoluble phosphate to settle tothe bottom, thegypsum being a valuable"ingredient 'to'be used on theland in preparing the soil. The clear phosphoric acid solution thusformed Wllil vta ke up the fifty (150) lbs. of nitrate of soda, and takeup, also, the fifty (50) lbs. of muria'te 0f potash, making anearlycomplete plant food v for general use.

W hen fertilizing the crop, the saturated solution in a clear conditionis taken trom the mixing vessel, and 'Wltll the drain cock '0 and stopcocks f, f, closed, the solution is poured into vessel A throughcharging opening 6. o

The apparatus is now ready for use, where upon stop cocks f, f, arefully opened, the elfect of which is to establish the i'flow of waterthrough pipes 13, C, to the distributor D and to the bottomof'thetaflg'The'wmter thus supplied to the tank displaces the saturated solutionfrom said tank, and induces the upward flow of said solution throughpipe G into the water flowing through pipe C and distributor D, theratio of solution to water at the beginning of the distribution being asone to one hundred. The continued flow of water through nozzle F intothe tank dilutes the saturated solution progressively, and at the end ofthe distribution only clear water flows through the tank, with theresult that the interior surfaces of the pipe, valves and tank areflushed and cleansed by the water flowing through the same, thusobviating the necessity for cleaning the parts and the dis tribution ofthe water tending to prevent any solution remaining on the leaves ofgrowing plants.

A modified form of the solution-containing tank and its connections isshown in Figure 2, wherein the tank A is used in connection with certainY-fittings to provide for the assemblage to the vertical pipe C. A Y-shaped fitting H is coupled at i to the upper part of the tank, and onebranch 71 of this fitting carries a screen I for filtering the saturatedsolution when charging said solution into the tank, the upper part ofthis branch of said fitting H being closed by a plug or cap, 71 Theother branch 7' of the Y-fitting H is connected to an inclined pipe Gattached to a Y-fltting G3 provided on the vertical. pipe C at a properdistance below the perforated distributing pipe, and this inclined pipeG has an outlet G in the form of a short piece of pipe positioned forthe delivery of the solution into the middle of the pipe A for effectingthe admixture of the solution with the water adapted to flow within thetank A, the stop cock f being open. The pipe G obstructs the pipe alittle to secure a better flow into the apparatus without having topartly close the main valve 7".

A Y-fltting J is coupled at 79 at the bottom of the tank, said fittinghaving the nozzle F for feeding the water in the required volume to thebottom part of the tank A. A branch Z2 of this Y-fitting J is closed bya plug to serve as a drain cock for the tank A, and to the other branchof said Y-fitting is connected an inclined pipe E connected to aY-fltting K, said inclined pipe E having the stop cock E The inclinedpipes re ferred to insure an easier flow of water with out muchfriction, there being no abrupt bends in the line of liquid flow.

Although the size and proportion of par-ts may be modified within theskill of the engineer, it may be stated that an average greenhouseinstallation involves the distribution of water to an extent of abouteight (8) feet on either side of a pipe line, so that a hundred footlength would be sufficient for irrigating seven hundred (700) squarefeet on each side and requires a one and one-half gallon tank chargedwith sixty (60) oz. of nitrate and potash salts in saturated phosphoricacid solution obtained from one hundred and twenty oz. of acid phosphateto be run out in about thirty (30) minutes time on each side.

My apparatus provides a charge container in the form of a tank andconnections, where by a charge of the required quantity for a giveninstallation may be supplied so that the proper amount only of thefertilizer can be distributed at the desired periods, say twelve (12) ortwenty (20) days. My charge containing tank and its fittings may be usedin connection with the distributor shown, or in connection with otherdesired forms of distributing mechanisms.

Having thus fully described the invention, what Iclaim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An apparatus for distributing fertilizer in soluble conditionembodying a feed pipe, a distributing member having a direct connectionwith said feed pipe, a tank for corn taining a fertilizer solution, afluid connection between said feed pipe and said tank, said fluidconnection including a reducing nozzle at one end thereof and locatedinside the tank at one end thereof and operable for feeding liquid inreduced quantity to the tank as compared with the volume of fluidpassing from said feed pipe to the distributing member, and a fluidconnection from said tank to the distributing member whereby afertilizer solution in diluted condition may flow from the tank to thedistributing member concurrently with the flow of liquid from the feedpipe directly to the distributing member.

2. An apparatus for distributing fertilizer in soluble conditionembodying a feed pipe, a standpipe connected therewith, a distributinpipe movably connected to the standpipe, said movable connectionallowing said distributing pipe to be shiftable relatively to said mstand pipe, a tank having means for charging the same with a fertilizersolution, a fluid connection from the stand pipe to the tank, said fluidconnection including a reducing nozzle operable for restricting the flowin volume of fluid into the tank as compared with the volume of fluidflowing from the stand pipe to the distributing member, and a secondfluid connection, the same extending from the tank to the stand pipe andsaid second fluid connection having a reducing nozzle operable forrestricting the volume of diluted fertilizer solution adapted to flowfrom the tank through said second connection into the fluid flowing fromthe stand pipe to the distributing pipe.

3. An apparatus for distributing fertilizer in soluble conditioncomprising a feed pipe, a standpipe connected therewith, a perforateddistributing pipe, a ball and socket joint connecting the distributingpipe With said standpipe whereby the distributing pipe is movablymounted, a tank, .a fluid connectionfrom'the standpipe to the tank saidfluid connection including a reducing nozzle connected to the end of thesaid fluid connection and being located in the tank at one end thereof,said reducing nozzle being operable for restricting the flow in volumeof fluid into the tank as compared with the Volume of fluid flowing fromthe standpipe to the distributing member, and a second fluid connectionconnecting the other end of the tank and the standpipe, said secondfluid connection having a reducing nozzle at one end thereof and in thesaid standpipe for restricting the volume of diluted fertilizer solutionadapted to flow from the tank through said second fluid connection intothe fluid flowing from said standpipe to the distributing pipe. Intestimony whereof I have hereto signed my name this 26th day of April,1927.

"GUSTAV-E C. C. SCHRADER.

